i8o DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Diameter of orifice of ear, about 2 mm. 



The skin very thick, 2 cm. on the flank opposite the anus. The greater part of the edge 

 of the lower Hp rough in outhne. The latter note probably refers to the irregular edge 

 of the lower lip, which is seen in Plate XII, fig. i ; Plate XIII, fig. 2; Plate XV, fig. i. 



Whale No. 3560, 14. i. 31: the skeleton and skull of this specimen is in the British 

 Museum (Natural History), and bears the registered number 1934. 7. 23. i. 



BEHAVIOUR 



The following note, and the sketches illustrating it in Plate XVII, were made on 

 December 29, 1925, when the writer was in the sealer 'Don Ernesto', at anchor in 

 Undine Harbour, South Georgia. 



As we were preparing to go ashore a Right whale appeared inside the bay. It was over by the west 

 point at the entrance to the bay, by the natural arch [see Chaplin, 1932, chart 3]. It appeared to be 

 playing in quite shallow water, and was constantly springing nearly clear of the water and falling 

 back: then it would roll on its side, bringing a flipper clear and whacking the water with it. Then it 

 would swim round with the snout and tail both above the surface and dive, bringing the tail flukes 

 clear of the water in doing so. It kept blowing with a very loud tinny noise, sounding as though it was 

 blowing at the end of a very long drain-pipe. The spout is double, and forwardly directed, V-shaped. 

 I at once got the cinema camera rigged in the hopes that it would come closer, but some of the sealers 

 left in the pram to go ashore and it followed them right into the beach, much to their concern. It was 

 definitely following them and appeared to be very inquisitive about them. They tried to drive it away 

 by splashing the water with the oars and shouting, but to no effect. However, it did not capsize them, 

 though they could have touched it from the boat, and they only had a few inches of free-board. 

 When they got ashore it went back to the mouth of the bay and started playing about in the kelp 

 where we first saw it. Then it continued its antics for some time in the centre of the mouth of the bay, 

 and came inside again close to the shore on the other side [by the rocks running out to O'Connor 

 Island]. Soon, however, it went out and round towards Kul Harbour. I did not see it again. 



The remarks of Collett (1909) on the diving, breaching and blowing of the Northern 

 Right whale are similar. 



SUMMARY 



This report records the observations made on the few examples of the Southern 

 Right whale which were examined by the scientific staff of the Discovery Committee. 



The measurements of five whales are tabulated : two adult males, two adult females 

 and a male calf. 



The colour of the whales examined was uniformly dark, almost black, with a fairly 

 large unpigmented area on the belly. The baleen plates number about 230 on each side 

 and are very long, up to 2-2 m. in length. They are black in colour, as are the bristles, 

 which are of fine texture. 



Hair groups of some size occur on the tip of the snout and the chin. 



The bonnet on the end of the snout and the other callosities between the tip of the 

 snout and the blow-hole, above the eye, and on the lower jaw are described. They 

 appear to be developed at the site of groups of hair follicles, and microscopically present 

 an appearance similar to that of the rest of the skin. Their association with masses of 

 cyamid parasites is described. 



